DTTWSB Week 1 NFL Picks

With the lockout well behind us we now have NFL footbal back! In about two and a half hours the Saints and Packers will kickoff the 2011 season from Lambeau Field in Green Bay. This is what the people have been waiting for. No more predicting, no more projecting, and no more hoopla. It's time to get down to business and play the games. Like last season I will be comparing my picking record with the analysts at ESPN. Last year I did pretty good, but I'm looking to do better this year. Let's not waste anymore time; here are my Week 1 picks...

Saints at Packers: Packers

This should be an exciting season opener. Both teams have top notch quarterbacks who lead top notch offenses. These two teams won the last two Super Bowls so you know they're going to try and send a message to the rest of the league. I'm looking forward to seeing how Aaron Rodgers progressed after the great playoff run he had. The Saints are also ready to play after they ended the 2010 season poorly with a loss up in Seattle. This game will be close and come down to a few plays in the fourth quarter, but I like the defending Super Bowl champs to win and give their fans something to cheer about.

Eagles at Rams: Eagles

The debut of the "Dream Team" Eagles will be an interesting one. They're walking into St. Louis to take on a rejuvenated Rams team. The reason there's a buzz in St. Louis is because second year quarterback Sam Bradford is ready to take off and solidify himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the league. With that said, the Rams are playing a pretty good football team that is led by Michael Vick. The Eagles are going to have trouble stopping the Rams running game so they're going to need to jump out to an early lead to win this one. I'm very tempted to take the Rams to win this game, but I'm going to stick with my guns and take the Eagles in this one.

Steelers at Ravens: Steelers

In my opinion this is the best rivalry in all of football. These two teams absolutely hate each other with a passion. When ever they get together it's always a tight game that is decided by a possession or two. The reason I love it when these two get together is because they play football the way it's supposed to be played. With all that said I like the Steelers to walk into Baltimore and enforce their will on the Ravens. These two teams are evenly matched except at the quarterback position. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is much more ready to handle a big game then Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Simply put, Roethlisberger makes plays and Flacco doesn't.

Cowboys at Jets: Jets

The Sunday Night Football matchup is a tasty one for sure. Some people have been calling it the Ryan Bowl because of Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and his twin brother Jets head coach Rex Ryan. The atmosphere should be electric because the game is taking place 10 years after the 9/11 tragedy. On paper the Jets have the advantage. The Cowboys are going out their with a virtually new offensive line against that vaunted Jets pass rush. I do like the one-on-one matchups the Cowboys receivers will be getting though. When the Jets are on offense they need to use their power running game to wear down the Cowboys defensive lineman. I think they'll be able to do this and with the crowd feeding them energy they should be able to win a close game.

***Upset Special***
Giants at Redskins: Redskins

My upset special this week is the Washington Redskins over the New York Giants. I feel as though the Giants are limping into this game, and the Redskins are quietly confident. Week 1 in the NFL always favors the home team because of the energy the crowd comes out with. I think the Redskins defense is going to give the Giants offense problems, especially in the passing game. Giants quarterback Eli Manning no longer has his safety blanket Steve Smith to throw to so look out for that during the game. I also like the fact that the Redskins will stay committed to the run which should slow down the Giants pass rush. In the end I like the Redskins to pull out a close game at home.

The rest of the week's picks:

Falcons at Bears: Falcons
Bengals at Browns: Browns
Bills at Chiefs: Chiefs
Lions at Buccaneers: Buccaneers
Titans at Jaguars: Titans
Colts at Texans: Texans
Panthers at Cardinals: Cardinals
Vikings at Chargers: Chargers
Seahawks at 49ers: Seahawks
Patriots at Dolphins: Patriots
Raiders at Broncos: Broncos